Chasing the Sky
by Lilacnightmares
Summary: You wanted to become the next Pokemon Showcase Queen, but something pipelined your quest! Actually, it was someone. It was this mysterious boy that you kept running into. His green eyes bore into your heart like nothing else, and his voice invaded your dreams every night. Who was he? Why did trouble follow him? All you knew was that you wanted to learn more about him. POKEMON AU!
1. Game Start

I

"Game Start."

* * *

As long as you could remember... you had always loved Pokemon.

So when you turned ten years old it was easy for you to get your license and start training. For a few years, you stayed determined and kept fighting to win and prove yourself to be a capable trainer... but every time you reached near the end, you failed to get high enough in the championship. Someone was always stronger, or smarter than you. It didn't upset you because you respected everyone who fought hard to make their dreams come true! Something in your gut every time you failed it made you feel like something was amiss.

Like, this just wasn't what you cut out for!

It didn't click until just recently when you bombed out in the top sixteen of the Kanto League.

When everything felt like it wasn't worth it anymore... and you were on the edge of your ropes, unsure of what you should do next: go home, or keep trying to win? It was overwhelming to just think about, but it was something that you had to do. You headed out into the city and just started wondering, looking, searching for something that would make the uneasy question go away. Thinking long and hard, you found yourself standing in the middle of town, in front of the theater with a small crowd rushing inside to get a better look at what was happening on the screens, or on stage.

"Huh? What's that?" Suddenly, those thoughts that were bothering you were shoved to the side and you found yourself walking forward to find out what was going on. Girls and boys, women and men, children, and others alike, all sorts of people packed the stadium to watch a performance. You didn't know how to think.

You just went with it.

It wasn't like anything you had seen before. They called it a Showcase, and that's all you needed to know. It was so different than battling in a gym and proving your wit and tact with fighting alone. You witnessed the contestants not battling, but showing off their care for their Pokemon and having fun with them in trials that involved showing ingenuity and quick thinking. They displayed moves as something more than just attacks to cause damage, they showed the beauty and wonder that came from having fun and creating something from what most assumed could just be destruction.

You had assumed no different when you were young. You just assumed you could be a trainer. As for much of your childhood, you spent your time battling in the esteemed Pokemon League, but after countless attempts in Kanto, Hoenn, and Johto, your motivation had seemingly dropped. What used to spark excitement and overwhelming feelings, now just left you feeling like you were drained.

It turned out that you could be more than just that.

Seeing people doing something different for the time gave you hope that you could find a new dream to complete... a dream that might fit better with your heart.

The lights of the stage...

The intricate display of Pokemon beauty...

The happiness that it seemed to bring to everyone's face!

Everything all changed when you happened to encounter that Pokemon Showcase. You made up your mind that afternoon about your life. You were going to start out anew, and take your first steps in a new region on your journey to become a master class performer. Nobody was going to stop you from trying to do it, either.

You could not and would not stop this new dream.

This was going to be your next journey.

Seeing everyone smile and have fun breathed a new experience into you, and you decided that it was never too late to and find a new adventure. That was it. This was what you had been looking for all along. This would be your new passion and you were going to see it through to the very end if you had your way about it. Your Pokemon were just as enthralled with the scenario was you were; Your precious and trusted teammates seemed to understand that you had something different in mind for the first time. Things were going to different but in a very good way. Starting something new was going to change everything and it was possible that it might mend that uneasy feeling in your guts.

With your mind finally made up, you gathered all the necessary papers and booked yourself a flight to a new region.

"Make sure to call often," your mother said as you walked out the front door.

You turned and offered her a smile, "Don't I always make sure to do that, Mom? I'll call you as soon I arrive!"

"We'll see about that. Last time you promised me that, I was waiting for a week because you got so distracted. You're going to traveling all the way to Sinnoh of all places, that's the farthest you've ever been from home!" Mom said, shaking her head with an exasperated sigh. "At least make sure to eat your meals and go to bed at a decent time every night."

Your cheeks turned red in embarrassment. It wasn't your fault, exactly, you had gotten caught up in the sights and sounds of a new town. Your mind had a way of carrying you to different places. It wasn't a bad thing! It just made you a little scatterbrained.

"I promise! Don't worry about a thing. I haven't gotten myself caught up in anything dangerous before. I promise you'll hear from me soon! Just don't wait up for me! You know I won't stop once I get started," You said. Bidding your Mom a farewell, you gathered your Pokeballs, your bags, hat, and set out to start something new. The breezy weather greeted you once you left your home, and you took one final look at the town before you began walking to your next destination.

It all started here.

The entire flight, you were on the edge of your seat thinking of how many new and exciting you would be able to do once you arrived. You were feeling all kinds of things at that moment. You were happy, you were excited, you were anxious, and you were hopeful. There were always so many feelings to be had when you arrived in some place new. You could remember those moments when you first stepped into a new region and that sensation always stuck with you no matter what you did.

Staring out of the window, you could see the Earth below changing and shifting as you traveled. Places that you had visited and places that you hadn't yet visited. Fields of flowers, cities, towns, lakes, forests, all sorts of things that stuck out to you. It was lovely to witness. If you hadn't been on a plane, then you might've wanted to walk the entire distance to your destination despite the fact there was an ocean separating you from it. The call for adventure, and the chance to try something new... it called you strongly.

But... there was still that feeling that you couldn't shrug off... that trying something new might not work out either.

"I hope... I'm doing the right thing." You murmured.

The Pokeball attached to your necklace suddenly popped out and out sprang your partner, Eevee. He was staring up at you with a look on his face that told you he knew that you were anxious. Your partner had been pretty good about picking these things up as long as you had known him to be your Pokemon, and you knew there was no telling him to return to his Pokeball at that point. Instead, you let out a little sigh and shook your head at his mischevious nature.

"Eevee Eeee!" he barked at you, nuzzling his head into your head as you pet him.

Laughing a little, you smiled. "I know. I know. I'm worried about nothing, Eevee. This is going to be fun... and that's what matters, right? We're going to try something different and who cares if we failed at first, huh? As long as we're having fun with what we're doing it shouldn't matter. Thanks, buddy. Why don't you stay out your Pokeball so we can see Sinnoh together?"

You and Eevee stuck close together as the world beneath you changed and become brand new... and before either of you knew it, you had arrived at your destination. The plane landed and everyone started to gather their things. You did the same and headed towards the doorway. Exiting the plane, you got your first look at the area and grinned widely. There were so many sprawling green fields to look at and so many buildings with new people to meet in the close distance. You knew at that moment that this was going to be what you made to be; As long as you believed that this was going to be fun then it would be fun.

Sharing a look with your partner, you could only say what you felt, burning with enthusiasm, "Look out, Sinnoh, here we come!" you said, "Eevee and I are going to be the next big thing!"

Little did you know... this new adventure was going to be a lot more than you had expected.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

This is a Reader Insert story with the inevitable pairing of Saeran x Reader, and I've been wanting to do this for such a long time. While I'm working on my other MM fic, I sometimes get writers' block and I don't know what should happen next... this story is going to be the one that I turn to get a breather from, and have fun along the way. There will be elements taken from the game, so there might be things that akin to spoilers but aren't exactly spoilers, just keep that in mind as you read on.


	2. Off to a Rocky Start

II

"Off to a Rocky Start!"

* * *

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute, Eevee! Slow down! You know don't have to be in such a hurry, y'know! We're going to be in Sinnoh for a while! Wait for me, buddy, slow down!" You shouted, darting after the furry creature as quickly as you could.

He only looked back at you once, seemingly laughing at the look on your face before he ran even faster!

You knew that you shouldn't have taken your eyes off of him for even a minute. Typical! You thought with a groan as you chased after your Pokemon down the route two oh one, the grassy path bounding against your feet as you went. Well, this is what you get for grabbing your bags. Eevee needed to be guarded like a hawk when he was in new environments. Who knows what kind of trouble he could get into if he didn't listen to you?

Oh, wait.

You knew exactly what would happen. The last time had involved a very craggy cliffside and a dip into the water. It seemed like he was walking you right back to that same outcome.

He darted into a row of trees and you did the same.

Your heart was pumping in your ears and despite how annoyed you were with your Eevee, you felt like you were having fun. You would never admit it but you liked it when Eevee made a game for the both of you to play. He often did things like this when he wanted attention, or when he felt like it was something that would bring a smile on your face.

Except, you had really wanted to get to town first before any mayhem ensued!

You kept running after the mischievous rascal passing thickets of brush and trees until it grew tighter and tighter.

Eevee walked right into what seemed like a dead end.

There was nowhere for him to go, the grassy path ended and there seemed to a lake up ahead. If he took any more steps forward then he would be tumbling down into the water, or right near the water. He wasn't exactly a fan of that. His hesitation to run any further proved that to you, so, you put your hands on your hips and declared your presence.

"Stop right there! Oh no, you don't!" You grinned, feeling victorious that you had caught him before he had caused any more trouble. "This is a dead end, mister, that means I won our little game."

Eevee looked at you and then back at the drop.

You began to walk forward towards him and when you reached him, you scooped him up into your arms before he could make a run for it again. You let out a laugh and spun around with him in your arms. "Next time you want to play a game, please, give me a little bit of warning first! Just for that, I'm not going to give you any treats after our meal tonight!"

"Eee Eevee, vee!" He returned, dropping his ears a little bit to look pitiful.

You sighed, and shook your head. "... Alright. One treat, but no more than that. Do you hear me? One treat!"

Eevee beamed. He seemed more than happy with himself. The spoiled little Pokemon knew just how to get his way. You adjusted your hold on him and began to look for the path that you ran in on only to see you couldn't see it.

Then -

Out of nowhere, there was a crack.

You looked down and saw the ground crumbling beneath your feet. Before you or Eevee could make a move to get out of the way, it caved and you both went tumbling down the path towards the water. Closing your eyes, you braced yourself for the first and held Eevee close. You flopped down onto the grass after a few short seconds and landed on your butt right afterward. To you, it felt like you were still falling! Either the fall had shocked you so much you lost track of the time before you hit the ground, or you had been knocked stupid enough to think you were still falling.

"Eevee! Vee vee!" your Pokemon called out to you.

Surprisingly, you were the one still shrieking about the drop, and when you opened your eyes again and looked behind you, you realized that you had only fallen a few feet from the edge.

"Oh." You murmured, embarrassed. "I hope nobody saw that."

You let Eevee free from your arms and he dropped to the ground. He had lead you to some sort of lake. It was a really big mass of water and you couldn't see the end of it. There were trees on the other side but you didn't know how far they were away from you. You frowned and stood on two legs.

"Where the heck did we wind up?" You muttered, looking at Eevee who couldn't really give you any answers.

In spite of how you wound up here, you weren't upset. These things just happened when you were on a journey. You had heard of kids getting caught up in crazier things than you had! And besides that, this place was picturesque! Sinnoh really was a sight to behold.

You weren't one to complain about seeing the sights.

You had grown up in the city and despite all of your travels, you had never seen a place that really took your breath away. Sinnoh was proving to be a lush place, and you really hoped the rest of this region was just as lovely. With the flowers and evergreen all around you... and the faintest smell of honey in the air.

Wait, honey?

That hadn't been there before.

Eevee seemed to pick up on that scent as well, but unlike you, he bounded straight for danger without even blinking. "Eevee, wait!" You called after him, but he zoomed forwards towards a tall patch of grass... once again leaving you behind.

You let out a groan and chased after him only to stumble into somebody. It was a guy... with white hair and the faintest tip of pink on the edges of his hairline. That wasn't all, either. He was dressed rather strange as well, with a bright overcoat and slacks. He seemed rather peculiar sitting at the lakeside, with his bag at his side and his hand outstretched to pet your Eevee.

"Is this your Eevee?" He inquired, his voice soft.

You nod, a bit quietly. "Yeah. I'm sorry if he's bothering you, or anything. He's just a little excited. We just got to Sinnoh today... and he's a little eager to explore little thing he sees or hears... or this case... smells. Eevee! It's not nice to try and take from other people, you know that."

Sure enough, your Eevee had dived-bombed him to get a taste of honeysuckle of all things.

"It's alright, miss, I'm not bothered by him," he reassured you as he failed to meet your gaze. Instead, he brushed his fingers against Eevee's silver mane and Eevee purred. "I really don't mind either... I've never seen an Eevee with this coloring before but I've read about them. I should thank you for this chance encounter with a shiny. You don't see a Pokemon this well taken care of very often, his coat is very brilliant for his kind. He looks beyond healthy for an Eevee, I can tell just by looking. You must care for him dearly since he looks so well groomed... and a girl as lovely as you... of course you would care for your Pokemon dearly."

Your cheeks turned pink, suddenly embarrassed. "Oh, thank you. Yeah, he's my best friend... we've been together for a long time, believe it or not. I do my best to make sure he's always taken care of. It's the least I could do for his friendship with me," you smiled. "You could tell all that just by looking at him? Wow, that's impressive! You wouldn't happen to be a breeder, would you?"

This time it was his cheeks that turned pink. "Oh, no... I'm not." he shook his head.

You cocked your head to the side. "That so?"

"I just... love learning about all kinds of Pokemon. I've often read much about as many breeds and variations since I was young... I read far too much for my own good, sometimes, and my brain is like a sponge, I'm afraid," he explained to you, picking up his things and returning them to his bag. He fiddled with his bag and tucked it back on his shoulders. "I hope you continue to care for your Eevee as much as you do, miss. People as kind as you are very rare in this region. This world is filled with all sorts of people who mistreat abuse, abandon, or harm their Pokemon that look just as you or I do right now... and those types... they should be stopped at all costs."

That tone in his voice was sorrowful, just it was filled with a fit of gentle anger.

"...Well, I can promise you that I'll never do something like that! Isn't that right, Eevee?" You looked down at your partner, and he returned to your side at last. "People should never do something malicious with Pokemon. I agree with you on that... there must be some kind of trouble in this region, huh? Guess there's good and bad everywhere you go on the planet."

Those words seemed to ease the worry that had grown on his face. "That's good to hear," he murmured.

"What is this place, anyway?" You looked around the lake once more to get a better view of it. You hadn't seen a sign or marker that could tell you where you had found up. "Eevee didn't conveniently go in the front gate to let me know."

"This is... Lake Verity," he answered. "It's one of the three great lakes in this region, there's two more spread out a ways away from here... but I'm most fond of this one. This atmosphere... it's quiet, and there's nothing but you and your thoughts. It's on the edge of Twinleaf Town. If you follow that pathway to our right, then it will take you back out to the main road and back into town."

You clasped your hands together, "Thank you! Eevee and I would have never gotten out of here if you didn't give us advice. I have a bad sense of direction just like him, haha." you smiled, looking at the path and then back at him.

What a relief. You hadn't ventured too far out as you thought.

"My name is (Y/N)," you inform him. "It's nice to have met you!"

"You as well," he returned your words. "I hope you continue to have a pleasant journey."

Just as mysterious as he seemed to be when you first saw him, he got up and headed on his way on a different path than the one he had directed you towards. Huh. Maybe he had wanted to do more exploring of the place since he seemed to like it so much? Really, you wouldn't have normally thought too much about meeting a stranger like that but for some reason, you thought you would be running into him again very soon. You stared after the boy with a strange feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Who was he and what was he up to?

"Hey!" you called after him before his figure had disappeared into the treeline. "You didn't give me your name!"

His head turned back in your direction for just a moment and replied in a voice that you almost didn't hear above the winds.

"It's... Ray."


	3. Adventurers Unite

III

"Adventurers Unite."

* * *

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the blond-haired boy apologized profusely after he offered you his hand.

You graciously took it and hopped back onto your feet, dusting off your pants. "That's perfectly alright! I wasn't looking where I was going either, don't worry about it!"

Today was really proving to be rightly a mess. You thought that you were going to be able to get everything back into order after you left Lake Verity behind, but you definitely been proven wrong. Your clumsy meter had been cranked up to ten thousand! The minute you got to Twinleaf Town you were rudely crashed into by a boy on a bike that seemed to be a hurry, and if nothing else, a bit terrified. He had blond hair that had been brushed out of his eyes and the cutest eyes you had ever seen. He looked to be around your age if not a just a little younger than you. It was possible that he was late to meet with someone or maybe he just always ran around like a Torchic with its head cut off!

You both started to walk up the path as you talked with one another about things.

"Why were you in such a hurry anyway?" You asked him.

He looked down at his feet as the smallest bit of red rushed to his cheeks. "Um... well, you see... I was on my way to get my first... Pokemon. I promised I wouldn't be late, but I kind of overslept."

Oh! That's why he looked a little embarrassed. Most people were already well into their journey by the time they were close to your age, even if they weren't all that successful at it. They still were out of their houses before they knew it. He was a late starter to the field, his parents must not have wanted to let him leave the house until he was a bit older than the usual starter age for Pokemon trainers.

"Wow, congratulations!" You told him with a grin. "I remember when I started my journey. You must be feeling really excited about it... everything changes and gets more exciting when you have a partner at your side!"

He looked back up at you and strained a smile. "If there's any Pokemon left by the time I get there... that is."

"Now, what kind of attitude is that? You can't let yourself get to feeling down like that! I'm sure there will be plenty of Pokemon left by the time you get there, Professors always stock up their starters for specific people. That's why there's always three! There's always going to be one left for you, or did you not know that?" You pursed your lips.

"...I did not know that." He mumbled, pitifully.

"Well who you otherwise?" You asked.

He rubbed the back of his head and admitted. "Well, this friend of mine told me that you have to get to the laboratory when the sun rises otherwise all the Pokemon leave."

"Well, somebody played a mean prank on you, I'm afraid. You'll be just fine!" You reassured him, patting his shoulder, "Today is a really special day for you, um... what's your name? Forgive me, I should have asked!"

"It's Yoosung," he said.

"Well, Yoosung, today's the day you meet your new best friend! I don't know which Pokemon you get to choose from here in Sinnoh but I bet they're pretty neat." You said.

He nodded his head. "I haven't made my mind up on who I want to pick yet, either. There's Piplup, Chimchar, and Turtwig... they all seem pretty great but I don't know which would be best for me. There are benefits to each of them! I guess since you don't know what the starters are... you aren't from Sinnoh, are you, um... what's your name?"

"It's (Y/N)! I'm from Kanto, originally, but I've been all the place since I was a kid. " You replied.

Yoosung's eye widened for a moment in surprise. "Oh, wow, you must have gotten to pick from Bulbasaur... um... I think it's a Squirtle and... uh... I forget the last one."

"It's Charmander! That's all of them, but I'll have to tell you and let you down, I didn't start out with what most trainers start out with. I met my first Pokemon on my own and he wouldn't take no for an answer," Tapping the Pokeball on your neck, you told him about your precious but oh-so-very mischevious partner. "You see, I met my partner one day when I was out playing in the forest. There had been a big storm the day before and I had hated being cooped up inside my house... so when I got the chance to play, I took it. It was really beautiful out that day but I stumbled into a hollow tree and found a very sick Eevee. I thought he must have gotten sick from being out in the storm... but it turns out he had been left behind by his friends because he was a little different from most Eevees."

"Different?" Yoosung stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean by different? I don't think I get why he would be left behind like that. Does he have a silly haircut or something?"

You laughed and shook your head. "No, no... it might be easier to show you, rather than tell you about him and his specialty." Clutching his Pokeball that you had returned him to, you let it rip and out sprang your Eevee. He blinked and looked at the newcomer with a bit of interest. "Yoosung, meet Eevee... Eevee, meet Yoosung."

Yoosung's eyes lit up and he dropped down to the ground to inspect the furry creature. It approached him and allowed himself to be pet. "I've only heard of these variants, I never thought I would see one in person! I thought they were a myth! He's totally all silver, instead of brown, wow, (Y/N), you must be some kind of lucky."

"I'm just lucky he likes me," You replied, politely. Eevee ducked past the blond boy and hopped back into your arms where he comfortably snuggled up. That was the benefit of his, being able to be carted around like a pampered baby just because he knew he could. Eevee knew what he was doing, always, and made a habit of getting his way.

"...I just hope my Pokemon likes me, like that." he ducked his head in embarrassment. "I've only ever been around a few that have liked me, you know? Ugh, what if I get an attack straight to the face?"

You laughed. "Even if they don't like you at first, it's not a bad thing. You learn to trust each other, and bond as you go along, of course! You shouldn't worry so hard, Yoosung, the world won't end if your partner sticks up his nose at you once. You wouldn't be the first guy to get a water gun to the face or a razor leaf to a knee! If you're that worried about, I can tag along with you to protect you from a mean ol' Pokemon."

"H-hey! I'm not scared!" he tried to say to rebuff, but you could tell he thought otherwise. "You don't have to tag along with me, (Y/N), you probably have better places to be."

You shook your head. "I don't, actually, the first Pokemon Showcase isn't going to be held for another week... I think it's in Jubilife City. Which is still a ways away from here, right?"

"Pokemon Showcase?" Yoosung echoed your words, an eyebrow raised. "What's that?"

"Oh, it's like... hm, Pokemon Contests, but it focuses more on the dynamic beauty and relationship with your Pokemon instead of showing off beauty and battle skills. They originated in the Kalos region but they recently started up the league here in Sinnoh for the first time, and I can't wait to get started! Eevee and I have been practicing for a while."

"Like a contest? I think I get what you're saying," Yoosung murmured. "Huh, I have a friend who is a coordinator and a performer, but I've never heard of something like before."

"It's new here, so of course you're out of the loop!" You replied, Eevee nodding his head in agreement with you. "Plus, it's always more fun to travel with a friend someplace instead of alone. If you don't mind Eevee and I tagging along, that is."

Yoosung shook his head. "Oh! I don't mind. I just... I just didn't expect anyone to want to come along with me."

"Are you kidding? You seem like a nice guy, you apologized for running into me! Usually, I'm the one that has to apologize to people for running into them. It's good luck on the start of a journey to fall flat on your face, that's what my Mom always says!" You grinned. Ahead of the both of you was the pathway that leads to the next town, where the Pokemon Professor was located. You couldn't help but be a little curious about what kind of Pokemon were given to trainers in this region, and any chance to meet somebody new was always fun.

"Well, okay! Let's go to Sandgem!"

"Together!"


	4. Appearance

IV

"Appearance."

* * *

"What happened here?"

"I don't know, (Y/N). Whatever it is, I don't think it's good."

You weren't sure what you expected but part of the building being missing and a Professor on the ground trying to catch his breath in the midst of smoke was definitely not a good thing. It looked like a Pokemon had taken out the wall. You and Yoosung rushed into the scene when Professor Rowan composed himself, and stared at the building and then at the forest to his left. Something had happened and whatever it was wasn't good.

"Professor!"

His stern face was composed in spite of the chaos. "Oh, Yoosung, it's you, and a friend as well. I'm relieved to see someone. I need to alert Officer Jenny to this mess."

"What happened?" He asked, worried eyes staring at the scene.

"Mint Eye happened," the Professor let out a heavy sigh and looked wistfully towards the woods. "I'm sure you've seen the reports of these troublemakers popping up these past few weeks, well now they've gone and stolen the Pokemon that were prepared for you and the other young trainers. They ran off into the woods but Officer Jenny and her squadron haven't arrived yet."

You did a double take, "What?" you said. There was a group causing trouble in this region as well? You could remember when Team Rocket had caused white the mess in Kanto and you really didn't want to relive any of that mess.

"That means... I won't be getting my first Pokemon." Yoosung's shoulders slumped. It seemed like his hopes had been dashed.

"No way," you grabbed Yoosung's hand and give him a firm look in the eyes. "We're not letting a couple of bad eggs ruin somebody's journey. I don't care who they think they are. That's just not right. Yoosung and I will follow their tracks for you, Professor! We'll try to catch them before they escape!"

Rowan stared at you for a moment and sighed reluctantly. "If you think you can handle them, young lady, you are free to give chase. I don't have any assistants on hand right now, you're the only hope at the moment. Officer Jenny won't be here in time."

You didn't hesitate to run in the direction of the muddy tracks after those thieves that had taken something so precious.

"W-wait, (Y/N)!"

"C'mon, Yoosung!"

* * *

That was that.

The both of you had to stop these guys.

The forest surrounding the laboratory was filled with all kind of trees and thick brush, as well as Pokemon that they were holding for young trainers out on their own journies. These thieves had made a mistake though as their tracks could be followed. It leads both of you on a chase into deep beyond the trees and away from the building. it brought you to an impasse where there was a fork in the road. It wasn't clear which path they might have taken to get away from the lab, so you both stood there looking for a clue. You were both looking left and right for anything suspicious and fortunately, Yoosung caught the glimmer of something in the corner of his eye.

"H-hey, it's a Pokeball," Yoosung called. "It looks like it might have been from the lab."

You spun around and looked at him holding a Pokeball with a blue sticker on the front of it, wondering how it had wound up in the forest in the first place. You just didn't find something like that in the middle of nowhere. It had to be a clue to the missing starters if it was out here. "Why would a Pokeball be laying in the middle of the forest? That's really strange. Give it a toss, Yoosung, let's find out what it is."

Yoosung gave it a clumsy whirl and it popped open. A blue penguin stood there with perplexed eyes. It looked at you, and then it looked at Yoosung. "Pip! Piplup pip!"

You stared at the small penguin with a raised eyebrow.

"What the heck is that?" You asked Yoosung, knowing your Pokedex hadn't yet been updated for the Sinnoh region of Pokemon which left you relying on Yoosung, a native to the region, to tell you what you were seeing.

Yoosung looked down. "This is a Piplup. It's one of the Pokemon the Professor was holding for us. I can't believe these guys were careless enough to drop one of them after they nearly destroyed the lab to get all three of them. Hey buddy," he dropped down to his knee and patted the penguin on its head very gently to calm it. "You look like you're okay. Thank goodness for that. They must have been in their Pokeballs which is why they got away with them in the first place."

"They must be nearby then," you mused. "What do you think, Eevee?"

Eevee chirped back at you in agreement. "Eee Eevee vee!"

"Should we take this Piplup back to the professor?" he asked.

You shook your head. "No time for that, they might get away if we don't stay on their tail. But hey, since we found Piplup, we can split up! You can go that way and I'll go this way!"

Yoosung looked horrified at your suggestion. "You want us to split us now? I've never even had a battle before, Y/N, what if I run into these guys and they're super strong?"

"You want to get those other Pokemon back, don't you?" You countered his words. "You never know what you're capable of until you throw yourself on the fire, Yoosung. Even if you can't beat them, you can stall them long enough for Officer Jenny to catch up to us! If you want to be a great Pokemon trainer then you need to be ready for anything. Today is the day your journey begins, so you should take control of your destiny right now."

Yoosung looked down at Piplup with a nervous look in his eyes. "Well, what do you think about that, Piplup?" Piplup stared at him with perplexed eyes but gave a squeak in reply. The bird nodded it's head and seemed resolute. They seemed to have a conversation between both of themselves just like that, and with fire in their eyes, they seemed ready.

"Alright. You go that way and I'll go this way!"

* * *

It didn't take long for you to run into a shady figure. In fact, it was like the guy was waiting for you to show up and try to stop him. He was wearing a hooded cloak over his head that covered most of his face except for his mouth. His lips were curled into a wicked smirk as he leaned his back against a hollow tree and looked in your direction.

You kept your guard up as you approached and Eevee was one step behind you.

"I was wondering when someone was going to catch up to me," he sneered. "I figured it would have been the police but they would never have stood a chance. Instead, the Professor sends a little girl after me of all things to save the day. I should have known the man wouldn't give chase himself, what a shame, but at least you look like you have a real fight in you. I bet this is what you're looking for, isn't it?"

He lifted his hand and flashed two Pokeballs in your direction.

"That's right," you responded, keeping your eyes trained on him. "And you're going to give them, or else."

"Or else what, princess? That sounds like an empty threat." He retorted. He rested a hand against his hip and paid you no mind. "What will you do? Use your Eevee on me? What's it gonna do? Cute me to death?"

"You really shouldn't underestimate something because _it looks cute_. Eevee, use shadow ball!" Eevee didn't miss a beat and launched its attack at the dark figure. The ball of dark energy was sent soaring in his direction and smashed into the tree next to him. He simply moved out of the way and gave you another look, that smirk hadn't left from his face the entire time.

"Princess does have some fight, hahaha." he cackled. He reached underneath his cloak and went for his own Pokeball, but paused before as his fingertips touched the metal surface. "I suppose you could fight me for the Pokemon if you're that determined."

"Bring it on." You told him.

The Pokeball was sent whirling forwards and out sprang what appeared to be a dark type. "C'mon Zorua, let's teach this princess a lesson for trying to be a goody-goody," the man said, and his Pokemon looked back at him and then towards you and your Eevee with a determined glint. You hesitated, but Eevee rushed in front of you in a protective stance.

"Alright, Eevee. We can do this."

"Eevee! Vee vee!"

He thrust his hand forward and directed his Pokemon to attack. "Zorua, use foul play!"

Zorua snickered and boosted with dark energy. It flared to life and thrust in the direction of Eevee.

Eevee stared at the attack and waited for your command, which you threw out immediately. "Eevee, dodge and use swift!" you returned. The stars swirled to life and went back at Zorua. The attack barely managed to land a hit but it brushed against him. Zorua stumbled but held its ground.

"Zorua, use fury swipes on that Eevee!" The man didn't like that, and his temper grew as he was pushed back against the wall. Zorua listened and Eevee was struck before you could tell it to dodge. The battle would ensue for a few minutes as the both of you tried to give it your all against the other, and it proved to be nearly evenly matched. Every attack that landed seemed to do the same amount of damage to each Pokemon. They stumbled but they kept going. Eevee and Zorua continued to dance around the battlefield in a desperate battle.

* * *

"Y/N! Y/N! Y/N! Where are you? The guy I fought said the real thief ran in this direction that you came! I'm coming to help you!" Yoosung's voice suddenly broke through the area.

Your challenger grits his teeth and glared in the direction of the sound of the boy's voice. He didn't seem happy that someone else had come to bother him in the middle of a fight. "Ugh. I guess we'll have to finish our fight another time."

"Hey, wait a minute, you can't leave we had a deal!" You called at him as his back turned. "You said you'd give them back if I beat you in a fair battle, hold up your bargain!" Suddenly, the two Pokeballs were tossed in your direction and you managed to catch them with your fumbling fingers. You stared at them and then looked back in the direction of this stranger. He had just given them up? Why had he even tried to steal them if he was going to give them up to someone the minute he was inconvenienced?

"Don't throw a fit, princess. These things are more trouble than they're worth. I can get much better Pokemon for my Savior then those pitiful excuses for starters. Do what you want with those. I don't care."

"Savior? Is that the leader of your group?" You questioned. "What was the point in all of this?"

He chuckled. "Of course, you must not be from around here if you haven't a clue about us or my Savior. If you stay long enough you'll learn the truth about this world and why you should come over to our side of things. We'll meet again, I'm sure of it, princess."

"I hope not, Unknown."

With the toss of that nickname left in the air, this Unknown shrugged you off and headed into the forest before you could chase after him. The sound of Yoosung's voice was growing closer and you had what had been lost. Why chase after the guy since he had returned what he had taken? Officer Jenny and her crew would be after him soon enough. You clutched the Pokeballs and turned your back this scene. "Yoosung! You won't believe it, I got the Pokemon back!"


End file.
